Gone with the Bullets

Ma Zouri is a calculating schemer whose intelligence and willingness to gamble with fate pull him into the Beiyang-era power web. After being pressed into an inconvenient marriage, he navigates alliances with Xiang Feitian and Wu Qi while facing relentless pursuit by rivals. He engineers a ritual-like gambit to bend outcomes, yet public judgment and danger follow him to the end, culminating in a tragic death.

Former champion courtesan known for her wit and charisma, she becomes a focal point of the power plays surrounding the pageant. She is steered toward victory and publicly commits to auctioning her right to marriage while donating her wealth to worthy causes. Her fate intertwines with Ma Zouri and the political machinations around her, ending in tragedy.

A powerful warlord whose authority over the city and its outskirts frames the narrative. He balances family loyalty with ruthless politics, including marriage maneuvers and harsh punishments. His decisions trigger the chain of events that ensnare Ma Zouri and Wu Liu, driving the pursuit and conflict throughout the story.

General Wu’s son, a central figure in the laundering scheme connected to the beauty pageant. His actions and associations with Xiang Feitian contribute to the volatile mix of money, power, and moral compromise that pervades the plot. He remains a key catalyst for the escalating intrigue.

Ma Zouri’s ally who becomes his hunter as the plot deepens. Once a conspirator, he grows into a relentless pursuer determined to extract payoff from the intricate schemes. His arc mirrors the shifting loyalties and the ruthless logic of power at the heart of the Beiyang era.

General Wu’s daughter who forms a tender bond with Ma Zouri. Her loyalty to family clashes with evolving feelings, and she ultimately aids Ma Zouri’s escape, highlighting the personal costs of public power and the complexity of love amid upheaval. Her arc explores loyalty, vulnerability, and the consequences of ambition.

A theater impresario whose productions recast Ma Zouri’s life as a sensational narrative, shaping public memory. He refuses to be bribed and becomes a foil when Ma Zouri confronts him in disguise. His role shows how culture and media manufacture legends from real-life crime and deceit.

Ma Zouri’s former teacher and now the General’s wife, a figure of complex loyalties within the Wu household. Her presence highlights intergenerational dynamics and the tension between education, power, and personal survival in a ruthless era. She observes, counsels, and participates in the unfolding drama.

A performer whose presence underscores the pageant’s spectacle and multicultural backdrop. Although a minor character, the dancer’s scenes punctuate the social whirl of Shanghai’s elite and contribute to the mood of decadence and revelry surrounding the power plays.